Past Tense
by Red Witch
Summary: Just some more musings after The Vault. With added Ice King of course.


**The spirits of the dead took off with the disclaimer that I don't own Adventure Time characters. Just some musings about the end of The Vault. **

**Past Tense **

"Seriously Peebles, what's with all the pretending to be a teenager when you're really a grown up?" Finn asked. He had just returned her amulet to her and his reawakened memories of his past life were still fresh in his mind.

"Who's really a grown up?" Jake asked as he walked in. "Aw man! Finn you donked up the floors really bad this time!"

"Yeah but I had to," Finn pointed to the skeleton inside.

"Wait is that…?" Jake did a double take.

"My past self yeah. Or at least it was," Finn explained. "Plus she had the amulet. I had to dig it up to give it back to Bubblegum."

"What is all the racket down there?" A familiar cranky voice called out. "Can't a guy get some sleep around this joint?"

"He's still here huh?" Bubblegum sighed.

"Unfortunately," Jake groaned. "He's been sleeping in the lookout tower."

"Hey what's all the racket?" The Ice King stumbled in without his crown and almost fell in the hole in the floor. "Huh? Who's the dead lady?"

"You can tell that's a woman?" Jake was surprised. "How?"

"Bone structure," The Ice King shrugged. "So what's going on? Are we having a séance to find out who she is?"

"No need. She's me," Finn said. "Or at least who I was in a past life."

"Huh?" The Ice King blinked. Finn quickly explained about what he had been dreaming of and the life of Shoko.

"Fascinating. Finn I've always felt a strange connection to you," Bubblegum admitted. "And now I know why."

"Yeah me too," Finn realized. He also realized that Bubblegum would never be anything more than a good friend to him. (Not for the first time but this time it really hit him.)

Then he thought of something else. "So how old are you **exactly** Bubblegum?"

"Uh Finn! You're not supposed to ask a lady her age!" Bubblegum was flustered.

"Well are you as old as the Ice King?" Jake pointed to the Ice King.

"I'M NOT **THAT** OLD!" Bubblegum snapped.

"You could have at least hinted that you were a lot older than you looked," Finn grumbled. "I'm so sorry I stole from you. Well that Shoko stole from you."

"Don't feel too bad. After…You know?" Bubblegum sighed. "I rallied the Gumball Guardians and took on the Bath Boys. Their leader told me that he was going to kill Shoko if she failed to get the amulet. She didn't…Well you didn't have a choice. I just wish I'd known. Then maybe…"

"Well it doesn't matter because it all worked out," Finn said. "We became friends anyway."

"Yeah, I guess we did," Bubblegum put her amulet on. "Wow. It's been so long I'd forgotten all about this thing. I know I was going to use it for something else. I just can't remember what. Oh well. I'll figure it out later."

"You know something. I had a past life too. Never told anyone this," The Ice King said before Bubblegum could reply. "Believe it or not…In my past life…I was a human!"

Jake simply looked at him. "Really? _Imagine _that."

"I know, it's hard to believe but I must have been," The Ice King shrugged. "I get these images in my head. Memories of things and times before the Mushroom War and you know what…?"

"What?" Finn asked.

"I'm pretty sure I used to be a rock star," The Ice King grinned.

"Riiiiggght," Jake said.

"Yeah that's why I'm such an awesome drummer! I got music in my soul!" The Ice King began playing air guitar. "I remember it clearly! The sold out crowds! The groupies! Being inducted at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Legions of adoring fans calling out my name…Whatever it was. But I'm sure it was a cool name!"

"Oh brother…" Finn rolled his eyes.

"I gotta ask. How did you die?" Jake asked in an amused tone. "This should be good."

"Oh that. Let's just say it's a **bad idea** to play an electric guitar in a thunderstorm," Ice King waved. "Especially when you're standing on a stage surrounded by a pool of water filled with sharks."

"Pool of water filled with sharks?" Finn blinked.

"I guess I thought it would be cool or something," The Ice King shrugged.

"Wow. Even his delusions are delusional," Finn whispered to Bubblegum.

"Okay let's change the subject now," Jake groaned. "What do we do about the body? We can't just…You know? Leave it there."

"Why not? She's part of the tree now," The Ice King said. "And now she's at peace. Besides she's not exactly the only dead person lying around the tree house so…"

"What do you mean by not the only dead person?" Finn did a double take.

"I have **wizard eyes** remember?" The Ice King pointed to his face. "I see spirits all the time. There's a couple of them hanging around this tree. Oh they're not scary spirits. Rather polite actually. Most of them are. This one guy is kind of rude but you know? Always one in every bunch."

"Okay I'm going home now," Bubblegum sighed. "Thanks for the amulet, Finn. See you around."

"Wait Bubblegum! You want me to walk you home?" The Ice King asked.

"Uh no," Bubblegum said and started to leave.

"Do you want…?" The Ice King began.

"No," Bubblegum kept walking.

"I could…" Ice King tried again.

"NO!" Bubblegum yelled as she left the tree house.

"Okay bye!" The Ice King waved. "She misses me."

"In your dreams," Jake groaned.

"Okay well we'd better get started," The Ice King clapped his hands.

"Started on what?" Finn asked.

"Appeasing the spirit of this poor dead woman," The Ice King told them. "Oh spirit of the dead unknown woman…Hear my prayer!"

"Uh Ice King that was **me**, remember?" Finn blinked.

"Spirit! Spirit can you hear me from the great beyond?" The Ice King called out.

"Dude I'm right here!" Finn shouted.

"Spirit! I dance to appease your troubled soul!" The Ice King began to dance around.

"Seeing you twerk around like that is troubling my soul!" Jake called out.

"I'm going back to bed," Finn groaned as the Ice King danced wildly.

"I don't suppose there's any chance we could bury the Ice King in with Shoko huh?" Jake asked as they left the Ice King to ramble on.

"And have him haunt us all the time? No way bro," Finn shook his head.

"How is that any different than **now?**" Jake asked.


End file.
